Suzanne Vega Enjoying Her Independence

Suzanne Vega is a dependable bard. The veteran singer-songwriter continues to write with intelligence and insight. You can count on the folk-pop rocker to continue to deliver her moving, surprising and thoughtful songs in an elegant manner.

The only issue for her ardent fans is that the native New Yorker only releases albums when she has something to say, which is far from unreasonable.

"Tales from the Realm of the Queen of the Pentacles,'' only her third album since 1996's "Nine Objects of Desire," has an inscrutable Fiona Apple-esque title. Vega's first album in seven years is an eclectic mix of her dreamy ("Horizon" (There is a Road), the whimsical ("Don't Uncork What You Can't Contain,") and the rocking ("I Never Wear White").

The latter stood out during a brief but satisfying set at Central Presbyterian Church during the South By Southwest music festival in Austin last spring.

It was a gorgeous setting for Vega's compelling, moody and for the most part, catchy songs, particularly delivering such old war horses as "Marlene on the Wall," "Small Blue Thing" and her biggest hit "Luka."

Vega, 55, who smiled throughout the 45-minute concert, appears to be content these days now that she's removed from major labels.

"I love being independent," Vega said. "There's no pressure to record. I obviously make albums when I have something to say. But it's not that I didn't have artistic control when I was with A&M."

The industry has changed exponentially since Vega, who will perform Saturday, Sept. 13, at Hartford's Infinity Music Hall & Bistro, was a young folkie making her major label debut a generation ago.

"I'll never forget that time," Vega said. "It really was crazy. People would be ordering one bottle of $300 wine after another at dinner. The budgets for videos were stratospheric. But that all ended."

The music business is very different, but Vega is still crafting cerebral, melancholy narratives. The common thread during Vega's career has been love songs. She has been among the best and most consistent when it comes to love songs, which are waning in this era of conspicuous consumption.

"That's a shame since love songs are universal," Vega said. "It really is the one thing that everyone can identify with. It doesn't matter if you're in love or not. You've been in love or you've had a crush. Some of the greatest songs are love songs. I've always been compelled to write them."

The subjects and language change with each album since Vega has morphed as a wordsmith.

"I think it's something that just happens," Vega said. "I remember how my writing changed when I had my daughter (in 1994). I started writing in a more simplistic manner and now that she's older, I've gone on from there. Some things have changed for me."

But some have remained the same. Many of her old tunes feel like a well-worn blanket.

"It's a great feeling playing something older like a 'Marlene on the Wall' or 'Tom's Diner' and you get that response from the audience," Vega said. That always feels good."